Didn’t get to see everyone go, but absolutely loved Uthopia and Painted Black. Valegro and Parzival may have had better tests, but I much prefer the movement and type of the other 2. Absolutely blown away by Uthopia’s extensions and do hope they got 10’s.
Doesn’t hurt that everything I read about Carl Hester delights me, too! What a great representative of our sport! I’d love to see Steve Colbert take a few lessons from HIM!
Just watched Parzival’s go on my big screen, that was really painful to watch. “Ugly dressage” defined. Sad.
The last ride I watched on replay was Edward Gal’s ride. All I could think was that there’s something wrong with that horse. That canter was like no other, tense and almost like he was cantering in place. Some of his transitions were so rough it was like a bad training level ride. Flame me all you want, but the smile on Gal’s face made me ill. Some of the other riders made mistakes or had trouble with the changes, and you could tell from their faces afterwards and the somber demeanor of their supporters that they knew they had blown it. Not Gal. That was a terrible ride that should have scored in the low 60’s, but he was beaming.
It seems to me like the come to Jesus moment after the scoring in 2008 was for naught.
And I haven’t watched Parzival yet.
Just catching up on the rides. Fuego. How white is that tail? Great ride.
Fuego is awesome. I love that horse. If I could get 5 min. on any of the Olympic mounts it would be him.
Valegro - great ride, don’t think I ever noticed his front leg inward arc of travel before. Great ride, though.
Wooooot, Olympic GP record! WOW!
Isn’t it interesting that the judges still value a horizontal piaffe to a true sitting piaffe as was demonstrated by Rubi - and true harmony, demonstrated by several pairs, which Parzival, IMO, didn’t show. But when he walked out of the arena on a loose rein - and we got to see that he really does have a neck - one has to ask - is it so difficult to ride him without cramming him in the front? No wonder folks from other disciplines rail against “dressage”! Damon Hill was far more correct if not so flamboyant. Seems like you have to have a BIG, FLAMBOYANT horse to win at this game. Whether it’s correct is entirely another matter.
[QUOTE=fish;6476843]
Didn’t get to see everyone go, but absolutely loved Uthopia and Painted Black. Valegro and Parzival may have had better tests, but I much prefer the movement and type of the other 2. Absolutely blown away by Uthopia’s extensions and do hope they got 10’s.
Doesn’t hurt that everything I read about Carl Hester delights me, too! What a great representative of our sport! I’d love to see Steve Colbert take a few lessons from HIM![/QUOTE]
I don’t know if you have the NBC coverage, but I noted this before on Utophia. They showed sloe mo of his extended trot after the ride, and his legs were clearly not parallel–the front legs moved before the back and higher. That’s one of the problems with the big movers, not a good thing. I saw lots of other big extended trots where the legs were parallel.
J-Lu–I noticed that in Valegro’s walk, too. He’s pigeon toed. I wonder how that’s going to affect long term soundness.
TheHorseProblem–my teacher friend. I think Gal was on a new, very energetic, tight horse in a new situation and did a super job with it. He is a master at taking super hot horses no one can ride and making it look easy.
I want to take Rubi home in my pocket.
The Austrian rider Victoria Max-Theurer on Augustin had a loop on her curb rein the entire ride. I loved her ride and her horse.
[QUOTE=TheHorseProblem;6476687]
Dislikes so far are the microphone placement that makes the horses sound like walruses, and whoever brought their crying baby to a 6 hour dressage competition.[/QUOTE]
THAT BABY! :mad:
this competition could do with some good commentary.
Not sure if this will work but
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/live-video/p00w305c
Adelinde Cornelissen makes her entrance at 4.16.39.
Horse is hyperflexed from get go.
Can we access the scoring for each individual test movement anywhere? I’d like to see that; it would be quite educational.
[QUOTE=thwartedequestrian;6477293]
this competition could do with some good commentary.[/QUOTE]
Have to say I’m really enjoying the no-commentary on the NBC live stream. I can hear the PA announcer, the jets landing at Heathrow, crowd applause, riders talking, horses sneezing, post-ride inspection chatter… I feel more connected to it without a commentator talking over it.
just mho…
[QUOTE=TheHorseProblem;6477259]
I want to take Rubi home in my pocket.
The Austrian rider Victoria Max-Theurer on Augustin had a loop on her curb rein the entire ride. I loved her ride and her horse.[/QUOTE]
I noticed that too and loved it. Good for her (and her horse).
[QUOTE=Beentheredonethat;6477162]
I don’t know if you have the NBC coverage, but I noted this before on Utophia. They showed sloe mo of his extended trot after the ride, and his legs were clearly not parallel–the front legs moved before the back and higher. That’s one of the problems with the big movers, not a good thing. I saw lots of other big extended trots where the legs were parallel.
J-Lu–I noticed that in Valegro’s walk, too. He’s pigeon toed. I wonder how that’s going to affect long term soundness.
TheHorseProblem–my teacher friend. I think Gal was on a new, very energetic, tight horse in a new situation and did a super job with it. He is a master at taking super hot horses no one can ride and making it look easy.[/QUOTE]
I’d be surprised if Valegro’s being pigeon-toed affects his long term soundness, considering how well he carries himself.
[QUOTE=Beentheredonethat;6477162]
I don’t know if you have the NBC coverage, but I noted this before on Utophia. They showed sloe mo of his extended trot after the ride, and his legs were clearly not parallel–the front legs moved before the back and higher. That’s one of the problems with the big movers, not a good thing. I saw lots of other big extended trots where the legs were parallel.
J-Lu–I noticed that in Valegro’s walk, too. He’s pigeon toed. I wonder how that’s going to affect long term soundness.
TheHorseProblem–my teacher friend. I think Gal was on a new, very energetic, tight horse in a new situation and did a super job with it. He is a master at taking super hot horses no one can ride and making it look easy.[/QUOTE]
I believe I read years ago in one of Hilary Clayton’s articles that diagonal legs in the best extended trots will not be parallel or simultaneous in striking off (I think she said the hind will push off a bit before the front-- which is what I see in photos of my own best mover). I also believe I heard on the BBC coverage that Uthopia’s extended trot has earned 10’s. That seems about right to me!
P.S. I also wouldn’t worry much about Valegro toeing in. Even racehorse people don’t consider that a horrendous fault-- and racehorses are at a much greater risk of front end lameness than dressage horses whose training is, after all, entirely geared toward shifting weight bearing to the hind legs, lightening the front.
Since I’m experiencing some show-jumping-day malaise, I rewatched Hester’s ride repeatedly and in slow motion. I can confirm that in the first extended trot at least, the hind legs definitely land first. It’s a bit tricky because the angle of the sun means that the forelegs are in shadow and the hind legs are not, and of course camera angles can always be deceiving. However, I did isolate at least three frames of hind hooves landed when front hooves were just barely aloft. As I’m such a geek I will now go back and look at the other trots in the same test… I should really get a life.
I had noticed watching Calecto’s piaffe, that something seemed “different,” but i didnt know what. Then I could see in the slo-mo that his hind toes dragged on the ground just a tiny bit before he picked them up. Judging from his very respectable score it’s not a serious fault, but isn’t it a fault? Don’t you want equal action in the hinds?
[QUOTE=grayarabpony;6477834]
I’d be surprised if Valegro’s being pigeon-toed affects his long term soundness, considering how well he carries himself.[/QUOTE]
Having some experience with the pigeon-toed horse, what I have heard from vets and others is that if the leg above the hoof is well-conformed, being pigeon-toed is not a big deal.
OTOH if the horse has offset cannon bones, big splints etc. that can be a problem. (ohhhh, yes it can. I speak from sad experience… 
)
Riderwriter it IS a serious fault
And I love the mike by the flowers…you hear the GRATING of teeth (on half the horses), the sheaths sucking air in the tensed bellys, and the walrus sound is the compressed throatlatches and attempting to inhale. I will bet they are NEVER put next to the ring again, it falls under give the publc TMI about what is really happening. Those which are properly ifv are quiet, you only hear soft breathing.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
